English

Year 7 and 8

Developing our students’ reading skills is central to our approach to English and Literacy at Wantirna College. In Years 7 and 8, teachers structure lessons that are informed by the Science of Reading. With a particular emphasis on vocabulary and background knowledge, teachers plan and structure engaging and interactive lessons that incorporate the explicit teaching of reading and language skills into every lesson. Students are exposed to a wide variety of texts, and develop their skills in reading and writing texts across a range of genres, including novels, graphic novels, short stories, film, persuasive texts, reflective pieces and non-fiction. Year 7 and 8 focus on establishing the foundational literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening that enable students to engage critically and creatively with the world around them.

Literacy Support – IGNITE Literacy

Ignite Literacy is a literacy support program designed to bridge knowledge gaps and skills in Year 7 students at the beginning of their secondary school journey. Students are selected based on a range of assessments, including PAT Reading, Single Word Spelling Tests (SWST) and our own Ignite Word Reading and Sentence Reading assessments. Ignite is an opportunity for students to receive regular targeted literacy intervention with trained Ignite Literacy tutors specialise in supporting students at the point of need in the following:

• Reading fluency
• Reading comprehension
• Vocabulary
• Writing enrichment and fluency

Year 9 and 10

Students in Years 9 and 10 have a range of options for their English study. At each year level, students undertake a semester of ‘Core English’ or a semester of ‘Advanced Core English’. These subjects are designed to build upon the key skills developed in the Middle Years, and prepare students for the academic demands of senior secondary education. They engage critically with increasingly complex ideas, text structures and language, and refine their capacity to produce analytical, creative, persuasive and reflective texts.

In Semester 2, students undertake an Elective Unit. There are four electives on offer, which can be completed in either Year 9 or Year 10. These are:

• Beyond the Game: Sport, Media & Identity
• Monsters, Myths & Legends
• Pop Culture & Powerful Voices
• The Writer’s Workshop

All four of these electives align with the Victorian Curriculum and develop key literacy skills, but provide students with choice in the ‘flavour’ of how they engage with these core aspects of the curriculum. In addition, Year 10 students have the opportunity to complete an Advanced English elective in preparation for VCE Literature or VCE English Language pathways, and are highly recommended for students considering these VCE options.

• Pathway to Literature
• Pathway to English Language

We also offer specialised English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes at Years 9 and 10. These year-long courses are designed to provide tailored support for students to build proficiency in English.

Year 11 and 12

Wantirna College offers students access to all the VCE English options: English, English as an Additional Language, Literature and English Language. Analytical reading and writing are foundational to all four options.

• English and EAL continue to develop the core skills that students have acquired throughout Years 7–10, with a clear focus on understanding argument and persuasion, text interpretation and analysis, and effective and cohesive writing.
• Literature provides a specialised pathway for students interested in developing their close engagement with a range of literary texts, from classic to contemporary, and their ability to interpret and respond to text.
• English Language is a linguistics subject that focuses on understanding the structure and nuance of how language words, how to analyse it objectively and systematically, and how language operates in the ‘real world’ with consideration of context, purpose and audience.